Fight
by Wraith Ink-Slinger
Summary: Reid gets into a fight with a fellow agent; Morgan is proud, Garcia is angry, and Hotch is attempting to make sense of it all. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Fight

A/N: Hello, everyone. This is just an odd bit that stuck out in my mind… Bit of a strange story, but I hope you'll all enjoy it anyway. Italics are flashbacks, by the way.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable. Including, but not limited to: Criminal Minds or the characters. I made up Agent Stevens.

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_There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war and madness._

_~Sam Peckinpah_

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Aaron Hotchner sat down at his desk and sighed. Before him sat a confused Emily Prentiss, a slightly proud Derek Morgan, a livid Penelope Garcia and an even angrier Jennifer Jareau, and a bruised and sheepish Spencer Reid. A rather amused David Rossi stood behind them all by the closed door of Hotch's office. "Alright." Hotch said after glaring at them all for another minute. "What. The hell. Happened?"

His subordinates all exchanged glances before speech exploded forth. They all attempted to give their version of the events that had transpired earlier that morning. Garcia was saying something about not believing the nerve of some people as JJ raged on about one Agent Stevens. Emily kept insisting she still had no idea what was going on while Morgan switched between saying he would have done the same thing and that he didn't know the kid had it in him. Reid opened his mouth now and again only to be cut off before he could say a word.

Hotch held up his hand to stem the outburst of speech and glared at his now silent subordinates. "This is not difficult; I would like to feel as though I am an FBI agent speaking to fellow agents and not a principal disciplining teenagers."

The five people before him erupted into argument again. "I don't even know what the hell is going on…" Emily began.

"Any of us would have done the same thing, I…" Morgan spoke over her and was in turn cut off by JJ.

"I was about to deck the guy myself, and you would've…" Garcia suddenly cut into JJ's tirade.

"He can't talk to our genius that way, or anyone for that matter! He…" Garcia began before Reid spoke over them all.

"They had nothing to do with it, it was all my fault." Reid said, speaking for the first time since he had entered the office.

"Stop." Hotch said, effectively quieting the agents. "Reid."

It took everything Reid had not to flinch under the unit chief's glare and it was only with the remnants of adrenalin coursing through his veins that he accomplished this feat. "Yes, sir?" He said as strongly as he dared.

"What exactly happened this morning?" Hotch asked. "The short version."

"Ah… well, I came in to work, I went to get some coffee, and then, as far as I can figure, I attacked Agent Stevens." Reid looked up to find six pairs of eyes trained on him.

"Man, that's not how it happened at all." Morgan told him.

"Spence, don't you remember? He…" JJ began to say.

"JJ." Hotch stopped her explanation. "The long version, Reid."

Reid took a breath and began to relay the events of that morning to his boss.

_Reid came in to work later than usual, though not actually late. Most of his coworkers had already arrived, and he could hear them and the other agents who worked on that floor talking in the break room. The aroma of coffee drifted through the bullpen, calling him to grab a cup before the work day began._

_Agent Stevens, a burly, pompous man who stood as tall as Reid with thick, dark hair and a thin moustache, stood in the midst of a group of new agents, regaling them with the tale of how he was sure to get that promotion._

"He's not going to get that promotion now." Morgan interrupted with a smirk. "Everyone saw how he…"

"Morgan." Hotch cut him off and motioned for Reid to continue.

_As Reid poured a cup of coffee and went to stand by Morgan, Garcia and JJ who were all pointedly ignoring Stevens' noisy conversation. Suddenly the group around Stevens erupted into polite chuckles as the agent delivered the punch line to an undoubtedly corny joke. Then he looked over and noticed the small group of BAU agents and smiled. "Why, Dr. Reid, I'm glad you're here. You just reminded me of one of my favorite jokes."_

Reid suddenly stopped talking and looked down at his hands, refusing to look at anyone in the room. "Reid, what happened next?" Hotch asked him, trying to prod the young man into continuing the story.

"He told a joke." Reid said quietly, his long fingers curling into tight fists.

"I'll tell you what happened." JJ spoke up, glancing over at Reid.

For the first time, Hotch did not stop her from speaking. In fact, he prompted her to continue, interested in what joke could possibly have provoked one of the gentlest people he knew into attacking a fellow agent. JJ fisted her own hands and continued the tale.

"_So, Doc, if you know everything, I'm sure you'll be able answer me this." Stevens turned to face Reid completely._

_Reid looked up at the agent, wary of what was coming next. He had seen that look in many a bully's eye and he was sure he wouldn't like what the agent had to say. "What," Stevens began, sounding contemplative, "Is the best thing about schizophrenia?"_

_Reid continued to stare at Stevens, wondering if he was really asking this question. JJ, Morgan and Garcia all turned to face the other agent as well, wondering if he could really be telling a joke in such bad taste._

_Stevens, completely aware of the discomfort he was causing, grinned and delivered the punch line. "You're never alone."_

_The agents behind him chuckled a little, unknowingly adding to the tension._

JJ stopped and looked sympathetically in Reid's direction, rage barely contained under her surface. "Alright, that joke was in poor taste, especially considering Agent Stevens was around during the Fisher King incident, but that hardly warrants the animosity you all seem to harbor towards him…" Hotch began, somewhat confused.

"They haven't gotten to the good part yet." Reid said quietly, his voice shaking with anger.

Hotch turned back to JJ for explanation, but she shook her head, digging her nails into her palms. Garcia continued the story this time.

"_I'm surprised you didn't get that one, Doc. I know you know everything there is to know about schizophrenia." Stevens said, still grinning._

"_He knows everything there is to know about everything, Stevens, he's a genius." Morgan said, trying to keep the mood light._

"_Oh, but Dr. Reid here has a special affinity with this subject," Stevens said, coming up beside Reid and tossing an arm around his thin shoulders. "Don't you, Doc?"_

_Reid stiffened under the other agent's touch. "I-It's my job to know about things like that. It makes me good at what I do." He said, trying not to let the anger through in his voice._

"_Well, sure, but I was actually talking about your mother." Stevens said dismissively. "I mean, I know she's crazy as a loon."_

_Reid stood stock-still, his face unreadable before he moved into familiar territory; facts. "Did you know the origin of the phrase "crazy as a loon" comes from Shakespeare's plays, where…" He began, in an attempt to pull conversation away from his mother, before Stevens cut him off._

"_Yeah, no one knows and no one cares." The other agent cut across Reid, then turned to the agents he had been addressing before. "You know, he does that all the time. Just jumps from subject to subject. Must run in the family."_

_This time, no one laughed. Morgan, JJ and Garcia had all put their coffee cups down and were staring daggers at Stevens. Reid remained where he was as Stevens released his grip on his shoulders and walked around to face him once more. "Now, you're being awfully quiet today. Normally you'll talk the ear off anyone who stands still long enough. Must not realize that no one actually listens to you, huh?"_

_Reid put down his cup of coffee and clenched his fists. His face was still unreadable. The other members of the BAU, however, were livid. All three looked ready to jump Stevens. "So, can you answer this for me, Doc?" The agent continued, unaware that he would have been dead several times over if looks could kill. "What's it like to live with a crazy person?"_

_Reid said nothing, he simply continued to stare at Stevens. "No?" Stevens asked, cocking his head. "Okay, how about… What's the craziest thing she's ever done?"_

_Reid was perceptibly shaking with rage now, as Stevens came closer, smirk still present on his face. "Not that one either, huh? Well, here's a thought-provoking one I'm sure you'll know." Stevens stepped up and was now standing right in front of Reid. "If a schizophrenic threatens suicide, is it a hostage situation?"_

Garcia stopped there. Hotch's normally expressionless face was caught between shock and rage. Even Rossi's expert mask broke, revealing anger. Emily, who had come in late and really didn't have any idea what had transpired that morning looked outraged to say the least. Reigning in his emotions, Hotch looked from Reid and back to Garcia. "What happened?" He asked finally.

"I- I'm really not sure…" Garcia said, anger evident as she shook her head.

Morgan cleared his throat and continued for her.

_Reid spoke quietly, his voice dangerously low and shaking with pure rage. "Get. Away. From. Me. NOW."_

"_Don't tell me you're going to go crazy now, too!" Stevens laughed darkly._

_Placing both his hands on Stevens' shoulders, Reid pushed him two steps back and moved away from the table. Stevens' face contorted with rage as he watched Reid move. "Don't you dare touch me, Freak!"_

_And then it happened. Before anyone could react, Stevens grabbed Reid's arm to turn him around. Reid, in turn, twisted out of the agent's grip and pushed him away. Stevens retaliated with a blow to Reid's cheek and all hell broke loose._

_Reid seemed to be putting the self-defense training he had been working on with Morgan to good use and was, in fact, more than holding his own against the larger agent. When fueled by pure rage, it seemed Reid was a very good fighter. Stevens did not let up and Reid continued to dodge and get in blows of his own. Finally, overcoming his shock, Morgan moved to pull Stevens away from Reid as JJ and Garcia both worked to pull Reid back. The new agents seemed terrified. One of them had left shortly before the fight began to get Hotch._

"That's when I came in." Emily said.

"And that's what happened." Morgan concluded, "You didn't attack him Reid."

Reid looked both angered and relieved. "I- I was so angry, I blacked out for a second and then I was fighting with Stevens… I- I thought that…"

JJ gripped Reid's hand firmly. "Never in a million years, Spence." She told him. "You would never attack someone."

Relief completely overtook the young agent as he sagged against the chair. The last remnants of adrenalin gone, he was left feeling drained. He barely noticed that his nose had begun to bleed again. Hotch offered him a tissue and took in the black eye and cut on his agent's cheek. "Morgan, take him to the infirmary. It seems Stevens got in a few good hits."

Morgan nodded and stood up with Reid, who didn't bother arguing, and headed out of the office. "Hotch," Morgan called the older man's attention, poking his head back through the door.

"Hm?"

Morgan grinned with unmistakable pride. "You should see Stevens."

Hotch couldn't help but smile, if only a little, at the thought. He couldn't wait.

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A/N: This had very little point, but I just had to write it. I have the feeling you guys might enjoy it anyway. I think I'm going to add a second chapter if anybody wants it… let me know, yes? Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Fight

A/N: Hello! I can't believe the wonderful feedback you guys have given me! Thank you so much! So, by popular demand, here is part two of "Fight." I hope it doesn't disappoint…

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_Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived._

_~Abraham Lincoln_

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Spencer Reid was the hero of the day. Word had spread like wildfire of the fight that had taken place that morning and while he had been expecting the other shoe to drop all day, it never did. He found out later that Rossi had intercepted Strauss and reminded her that 7 agents would all vouch for Reid in that he had been acting in self defense. Reid had tried to thank Rossi, but the older agent had said, with a small, mischievous smile, that he had no idea what Reid was talking about.

Agent Stevens, on the other hand, had gotten into quite a bit of trouble. Hotch had informed Reid later in the day that, due to previous misconduct and problems with following orders, Agent Brett Stevens had been fired.

People had been coming by Reid's desk all day; they were glad to see Stevens go and they wanted to thank the person responsible. Men would give him a slap on the back and give him a friendly smile or a "nice job." Women, many of whom were absolutely fed up Stevens sexist tendencies, would pause and thank him for getting rid of "that pig." To his embarrassment, some of the more forward female agents had fawned over his injuries, saying how brave he was. To his absolute mortification, he had received the same treatment from Gary Brooks, a lab tech from questioned documents. Morgan and Emily had been highly amused, though they had said nothing.

Reid simply couldn't wait for the day to be over. He felt horrible. Partially for Stevens getting fired, but mostly for the way everyone was acting. He had never been an exceptionally popular person around the bureau, and he hadn't really minded. But now, he was the man of the hour because he had gotten into a _fight_ and gotten someone _fired_. He felt as though he was no better than Stevens.

At quitting time, Morgan had stood up and sauntered over to Reid's desk. "C'mon, Reid, I owe you a drink." He said, offering the younger agent a dazzling smile.

"No, you don't, Morgan." Reid shook his head, not looking up from his computer screen. "If anything, I owe _you_. If you weren't teaching me self defense, Stevens probably would have- uh… well, it wouldn't have been much of a fight."

"Hey, man, don't sell yourself short. You never know what you can do until those survival instincts kick in, anyway." Morgan gave him a small, joking smile before becoming serious. "You really did good, Reid."

Reid nodded. "Thanks, but I think maybe I'll take a rain check on the drink."

Morgan looked at the young genius for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to attempt to convince him to come out for a drink. Finally, the older agent shrugged. "Alright. Rain check. See you tomorrow." Giving Reid a pat on the shoulder, Morgan gathered his things and headed out.

Emily was next to leave. She pulled on her jacket and stopped by Reid's desk on her way out. "Did Stevens really say all the things they said he did?" She asked quietly.

"Uh, yeah. He did." Reid told her, nodding.

A look of disbelief crossed Emily's normally composed features. "Why?" She asked incredulously.

Reid shrugged slightly. "I beat him out for a spot in the BAU. Gideon told me there really was no competition, Stevens wouldn't have made a very good profiler at all. But Stevens seemed to think that I pushed him out of the way or something. Ever since then he's found more and more reasons to dislike me. Also, it could be that felt threatened. Many people do tend to feel intimidated by those with higher IQs than their own, but I honestly don't think that's a legitimate fear. I mean, it's really the type of person you are, not how intelligent they are, and…"

"Okay, I get it!" Emily cut him off, laughing a little.

"Sorry…" Reid muttered, blushing.

Emily smiled at him, gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and headed out. Garcia came out of her office shortly after and bustled over to Reid's desk. "Hey, stand up for me, would you?" She said, making it sound more like an order than a request.

Confused, Reid stood up and Garcia enveloped him in a tight hug. He hissed in pain as she added pressure to the bruises Stevens had left on his ribs. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't think about that! Can I get you something?" Garcia asked, immediately releasing him.

"No, Garcia, it's okay. They're only bruises." Reid shook his head, gingerly rubbing his sore ribs.

After eyeing him suspiciously for a moment or two, Garcia nodded and gave him a much gentler hug before letting him sit down again. "Does it help to know that I got even with him?" She asked deviously.

"Garcia… what did you do?" He asked incredulously.

"Oh, sweetie, what _didn't_ I do?" She said, winking at him.

Reid only gaped at her before she assured him that it was more for her own benefit than his. Finally she smiled softly down at him. "We're all proud of you, y'know."

Reid only nodded. "Good. See you tomorrow, Superman." Garcia told him as she, too, left the bullpen.

Sighing, Reid began to gather his things. He didn't think he could handle any more praise for something he'd rather had never happened. However, before he could make his great escape, someone called his name. "Reid." Hotch said from the doorway of his office. "Can I talk to you?"

As it was obviously not a request, Reid deposited his bag and jacket back onto his chair and headed up into Hotch's office. "Have a seat." Hotch told him when he arrived.

Reid did as he was told and waited for Hotch to speak. "I find it interesting that a team of the best profilers in the country couldn't see that you aren't proud of what transpired today." His superior finally said.

Reid's head snapped up as he fixed his boss with a confused stare. "I find it almost as interesting that you can't tell why they're all congratulating you." Hotch continued.

"What?" Reid was now thoroughly confused.

"Reid, they're not proud of you because held your own in a fight…"

"I think Morgan was pretty proud of that, actually." Reid cut in.

Hotch held up a hand and continued as though Reid hadn't interrupted. "…Or because you got Agent Stevens fired. They're proud because you stood up for yourself. From what I heard from both the team and other agents in the break room, you conducted yourself quite well. Even though Stevens was asking for it, you refused to give him what he wanted. You tried to remove yourself from the situation and you only started fighting when Stevens attacked you."

Reid did not respond, looking down at his hands in his lap. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Reid. We're proud because of the way you handled yourself, not because of what you did."

Reid's eyes widened. _We_. They were proud of him. They were _all_ proud of him. And that meant more than winning every fight he'd ever fought. They were proud of him for doing what had been in his nature. They were proud of him for acting like himself. Standing up, Reid headed for the door and paused just before he left. "Thanks, Hotch."

Hotch only nodded and watched Reid head down into the bullpen, looking considerably cheered up. Smiling to himself, Hotch thought about what he had said. Every word of it had been true; he wouldn't lie about the things he had said. However, personally, Hotch was quite proud that Reid had managed to break Agent Stevens' nose- not that he'd ever tell Reid that.

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_There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit._

_~Napoleon Bonaparte_

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A/N: Hm… not what I imagined, but definitely interesting. Hope you guys enjoyed! This is most likely it for the story. Review, if you want, it would make my day!


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